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We tried chicken tenders at 5 Memphis-area spots. Which were the best?

These crispy fried treats aren’t just for kids anymore. Fast-casual restaurants specializing in hand-battered chicken tenders are popping up across Memphis.

Slim Chickens opened its first Memphis-area location in Southaven this past summer, and a second is slated to open in Collierville in the spring. Alabama-based Guthrie’s opened a location in Cordova on Dexter Road in December and is opening a second on Germantown Parkway by the Agricenter in early February.

According to Nation’s Restaurant News, even Taco Bell is getting into the fried chicken tender game with a tortilla chicken tender expected to be released nationwide later this year.

To help you pick the best chicken tenders for your Super Bowl party, I gathered a group of Commercial Appeal writers to taste-test some of the best in town. We tried three local spots that are consistently raved about, as well as two chains.

Gus’s Fried Chicken

You may not know this, but local fried chicken favorite Gus’s also has fried chicken tenders on the menu.

Large pieces of tender white meat are marinated in the same secret spicy batter as the bone-in chicken and then fried to perfection.

The meat is spicy and juicy, with a super thin crust that is really just the marinade crisping up rather than a traditional crust.

Jason Munz pointed out that this is not your everyday chicken tender. “It had the most original taste out of all the chicken tenders we tasted.”

Whereas we all enjoyed the tenders, the fries were just an average french fry. Not bad, just not special. Just a reminder that Gus’s is a dining destination for its world-famous chicken, not necessarily the sides. That said, the fries, along with the slice of Wonder bread that came with the order, were a nice foil to the heat of the chicken.

These spicy tenders were Sam Hardiman’s favorite of the day.

Verdict: This tender is for those who like a little kick with their chicken. Order them with a side of ranch dressing — it’s the perfect dipping sauce for these spicy tenders.

Bosses was Ray Padilla’s favorite, even though he admitted the size of the tender was a bit odd. “I think the flavor was perfect,” he said. Ariel Cobbert was also a fan, saying the honey gold tossed tenders were her favorite.

In his report, John Beifuss noted, “I also appreciated the decor, which included such random elements as a poster for 'Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan' alongside the expected images of Elvis and Marilyn.”

The seasoned fries were the favorite for many in the group. Instead of being pre-battered like most seasoned fries, Bosses tosses freshly fried fries in its own signature spice blend.

Verdict: These over-sized chicken tenders are for those who love chicken wings. Choose from 10 sauces ranging from mild Honey BBQ to the super-hot RAD (Suicide) sauce. If serving these tenders for a party, I’d recommend slicing them into strips to make them more of a finger food.

SuperLo Foods

Multiple locations

SuperLo is known across town for fried chicken; it’s a quick dinner for many on the go. Its tenders are hand-breaded in the same batter as its bone-in chicken.

These were the breadiest of all the tenders we tasted. The tenders, which were on the flatter side, have a mild hint of pepper in the crust.

Having tasted SuperLo’s chicken before, I thought going in that they would be a high contender.

The kitchen fries up a fresh batch every two hours. Unfortunately, I think we arrived toward the end of the two-hour window as our tenders were lukewarm and tasted like they had been under a heat lamp for a while.

Everyone agreed they liked the flavor of these tenders, but the lack of crispiness due to not being freshly fried was a turn-off. If we went back and tried just-fried chicken, I am sure these would have a different rating.

Verdict: SuperLo’s chicken tenders are a classic fried chicken tender. Nothing fancy, but a solid option. As a side note, the staff at the deli couldn’t have been any friendlier or prouder of their fried chicken. My advice: Order them in advance so you have a freshly fried version to enjoy. They request a 24-hour notice for large orders.

Guthrie’s

8075 Dexter Road, Cordova

Buy Photo

Guthrie's chicken tender meal with a side of fries and coleslaw(Photo: Ariel Cobbert/The Commercial Appeal)

Hands-down, Guthrie’s wins the award for customer service. When we walked through the front door, a greeter asked if we had been there before. When she learned it was our first visit, she shouted “first-timers,” and everyone behind the counter chimed in together with a big, “Welcome to Guthrie’s.”

Chicken tenders at this spot come in single-serving boxes or in a bucket to feed a crowd.

The favorite of Jason Munz and Mark Russell, these tenders have a crispy, golden crust that is mild flavored. The meat — which seems like chicken breasts cut into strips versus being a flat tender — is tender and juicy. What takes these tenders over the top is the signature Guthrie’s dipping sauce.

Buy Photo

Guthrie's chicken tender meal with a side of fries and coleslaw(Photo: Ariel Cobbert/The Commercial Appeal)

The crinkle-cut fries and buttery Texas toast also got high ratings from the group.

Verdict: There is a reason that this Alabama-based chain has been around for more than 50 years. Guthrie’s has mastered the classic chicken tender. Order a bucket (includes 25 chicken tenders and six signature sauces) when feeding a crowd.

Abner’s

“Ask a kid to draw a chicken tender, it’ll look like something in a basket at Abner’s,” said John Beifuss of the tenders at this Oxford, Mississippi-based chain.

The tenders at Abner’s had the lightest-hued crust we tried. These pale golden tenders had a thin crispy crust with a hint of grease. The chicken itself, which like at Guthrie’s seemed like freshly cut chicken breasts, was juicy and tender. They reminded me a bit of Houston’s famous chicken tenders.

This was a high contender for many. Ariel Cobbert, who attended Ole Miss, pointed out that anyone who attended the University of Mississippi would love the taste of this Oxford original. Ray Padilla loved the fries — “I couldn’t stop eating them,” he joked.

Order them with a side of the signature dipping sauce.

Verdict: These are a good classic fried chicken tender if you don’t mind a hint of grease. Each order comes with a sauce, fries and a piece of garlic bread.

The final score

This challenge ended in a tie — with no clear-cut winner.

Each chicken tender had its own unique personality — no two were alike. Multiple spots appealed to different members of the group for different reasons, showing that taste is definitely a personal opinion.

In the end, our research is a win-win for everyone. You can’t lose by trying any of the five we taste-tested. We all agreed we would eat all of these tenders again.

We just hope our descriptions help you find the perfect tender that is a touchdown for your taste buds.

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com, and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.